Bangladesh is projected to lose 4.8 percent of its working hours due to heat stress by 2030 if adequate and timely adaptation measures are not taken, according to a study.

Besides, rising sea levels are expected to submerge about 17 percent of the country's land and displace about 20 million people by 2050, said the study on "Just Climate Transitions in Bangladesh".

Moreover, Bangladesh will lose its competitiveness in global garment trade if the country fails to adopt proper measures for transitioning to renewable energies by 2030 or the next 10 years.

This is because international clothing retailers and brands will either pay less for garments made by factories running on fossil fuel or avoid purchasing from them altogether.

The study, conducted by international consulting firm FSG with help from H&M Foundation and Laudes Foundation, was unveiled at a discussion organised by Bangladesh Apparel Exchange at The Westin hotel in Dhaka yesterday.

These findings were shared by two authors of the study, Sujata Rathi and Akshay Kohli -- a director and associate director of the FSG respectively.

Rathi, Kohli and other discussants mainly spoke on challenges in the garments and construction sectors.

Participants of a side discussion said Bangladesh's progress in adopting measures for promoting renewable energy usage in producing garments remains below 2 percent even though competing countries have already made significant strides in this regard.

Garment exporters, representatives of international clothing retailers and brands, climate experts, lawyers, government high-ups, union leaders, garment factory owners, and experts and researchers from home and abroad participated in the discussion.

Garments and construction industries remain at the heart of Bangladesh's overall industrial sector, employing 12 million people and contributing 34 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

However, it also generates 15 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions, with this contribution expected to rise by about 5 percent by 2030.

The garments and construction sectors, which include brickmaking, cement, and steel manufacturing industries, are critical an industry transition in the country.

Together, these sectors constitute 74 percent of the industrial sector's contributions to the GDP and are responsible for about half of the emissions in Bangladesh.

Industrial workers are at a particular risk and have limited resilience to climate transitions due to their financial insecurity.

About 90 percent of all workers in the industrial sector are employed informally, earning an average of Tk 13,568 (EUR 140) per month, which is about 40 percent below living wage estimates.

Only about 22 percent of Bangladesh's population has access to any form of social protection measures, and most programmes do not cover industrial workers.

The study urged that including workers and marginalised communities in decision-making, thereby empowering them to influence the process and increase the accountability of companies and the government.

The study also said Bangladesh's economy grew 24 times between 1980 and 2023, reducing poverty rates by two-thirds.

In the same period, Bangladesh's greenhouse gas emissions increased by 176 percent.

As physical risks due to climate change continue to materialise globally, the international focus on decarbonisation is expected to increase.

Investments in just transitions can help Bangladesh protect its development trajectory and bring opportunities for proactive businesses and countries in the form of reduced costs, enhanced competitiveness, and the potential to create high-quality jobs.

The garments and construction sectors are critical for fostering a "just" industrial transition in Bangladesh, the paper said.

These sectors together constitute 74 percent of the industrial sector's contributions to the GDP, with 80 percent coming from the industrial workforce. Also, the two sectors are responsible for about half of the harmful emissions in Bangladesh.

A holistic strategy, integrating the inclusion and concerned government agencies, workers and accountability to them, is essential to advance just transitions toward a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy.

Rathi outlined seven priority areas that Bangladesh needs to work on. The areas are climate change mitigation through transition low-carbon manufacturing, adaptation of circular materials, increasing climate adaptation in workplaces, upskilling workers and expanding social protection, ensuring adequate worker housing, and innovating financial solutions and improving the accountability of local companies and the government.

Kohli said the global demand for sustainable fashion has been rising as consumers are prioritising the preservation of nature. So, Bangladesh should go for reducing its carbon footprint to grab more of the global market.

Replying to a query, Habibur Rahman, deputy governor of the central bank, said although Bangladesh is one of the most climate vulnerable countries, its allocations in green financing are still low and should be increased.